Automatic valve-controlling mechanism



J. T. KNOLES.

AUTOMATIC VALYE CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZI, 1.920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JIESSE T.K1\TOLES, or WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA} AUTOMATIC VALVE-CONTROLLINGMECHANISM.

Application filed May 21,

T 0 oil 20 7mm it may] concern Be it known that 1, Jesse T. KNoLEs, acitizen of the United States, residing at WVin nemucca, in the county ofHumboldt and State of Nevada have invented. certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic l alye-Controlling Mechanism, of which thefollowing is a specification.

lily invention relates to automatic valve controlling mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a valve controlling mechanismactuated by the pressure of the fluid passing through the valve toautomatically open and close the valve as the pressure rises and falls.

This object I accomplish by the mechanism shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which: I

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of my valve control applied to alocomotive draft generator.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the automatic valvecontrol mechanism.

Fig. is an enlarged sectional side eleva tion of one of the controlvalves.

The boiler l is of any approved construction and there is a steam supplypipe l leading from the steam space of the boiler into the cab andthence forwardly into the smoke box to an injector nozzle 1, dischargingupwardly toward the smoke stack. A hand valve 1 is provided within thecab to permit communication between the steam space and pipe 1 and causea blast of steam at the nozzle 1 and so create a forced draft throughthe lines, smoke box and stack.

In order that the draft may be regulated according to the steam pressurewithin the boiler, I provide the pipe 1 with a valve casing 2 within thecab; the casing having a horizontal bronze lining 3 within which slidesa sleeve valve 4 open at bothends.

The forward end of the valve casing 2 connects with the supply portion27 of pipe 1 and the lower side of the valve casing and liningcommunicate with the outlet portion 28 of the pipe 1 the sleeve valve 4:sliding over this outlet. The forward open end of the valve casing 2 isclosed'by a head 14 secured by bolts 22 and having a central gland 15through which slides the valve operating rod 5 secured at its inner endto the valve Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 19.21.

1920. Serial No. 333,141.

has at 16. The valve 4: is provided with suitable packing rings 30.

A substantially rectangular open frame or bracket 1?? is secured at21,and 13 to the valve casing 2, and the sides of the frame Wlll be closedby plates not shown. A horizontal supporting arm 11 is secured at oneend to a lug 12 projecting from the lower portion of valve casing 2 andto the opposite end of this arm 11 is pivoted the lower end of the valveoperating lever 6, as at 24-. This lever 6 1s pivoted between its endsto the valve rod 5, as shown at 26; the valve rod being extended beyondthe pivot and working in a horizontal guide tube 8 secured to thebracket or frame 17 by a headed bolt 9. Above its pivotal connectionwith the rod 5 the outer side of lever 6 is provided with a plurality ofrounded sockets 6, for a purpose to be presently described. 7

The valve 4 is normally held open by means of a retractile spring 7 oneend of which is secured to lever 6 and the other to the frame or bracket17; the said spring inclosing or surrounding the tube 8.

In order to move the valve 4; from its open position, as shown in Fig.2, the followmg mechanism is provided in the form of a plurality ofsteam actuated pistons 39 of varying stroke. These pistons 39 aremounted in cylinders 31 arranged one above the other and the. pistonrods 40 and cylinders 31 increase in length from the top downwardly. Theouter ends of the piston rods terminate in ball-like heads 40- arrangedin step-like order and loosely engaging respective sockets 6 of lever'5, as clearly shown. The opposite ends of the cylinder are providedwith valve chambers 32 having passages 82 leading to the cylinders andcontrolled by needle or pin valves 38 secured to valve stems 38 mountedin tubular casings 35 screwed into the outer ends of valve chambers 32.A diaphragm 37 is mounted in every valve chamber 82 and these diaphragmsbear against the valve stems 33 so as to retract the valves 38 againstthe pressure of the tension springs 34 mounted on the valve stems andengaged at their outer ends by the regulating screws 36. The severaloperators are secured together by a clamp 18 at one side of the frame orbracket 17.

A pipe 29 connects the steam supply pipe 1 with each of thevalve'chambers 32 by means'of the branches 29 so that steam under boilerpressure will be supplied to the series of operators formed by therespective pistons and their controlling valves.

These operatorssuccessively actuate the valve lever 6 in opposition toits retracting spring 7 as tollowsz' When the engineer opens the handvalve 1 steam will flow through the pipe 1 to the draft generator ornozzle l and cause a draft through the fines, smoke box and stack; thespring 7 now holding the automatically controlled valve 4 fully open.This action keeps up till the steam pressure in the boiler reaches apredetermined point, at which point the automatic control valve beginsto operate. For example, with a boiler carrying 200 pounds pressure theupper shorter operator is set to operate the valve 4i at 196 poundspressure, the next operator is set for 197, the next 198 and the lowestand longest set for 199, When the steam in the boiler rises to 196pounds pressure the steam from pipe 29 entering the top operator willcause the diaphragm 37 to open needle valve 38 against the force of itsspring which has been set at 196 pounds, and the steam will entercylinder 31 and force the piston 39 and its rod 40 outwardly, and thisaction will move the lever b and with it the valve 4 to the line marked1}, where the parts will remain so long as the boiler pressure is justabove 196 pounds, thus cutting oil the draft one-quarter. Now, when thepressure exceeds 197 pounds the second automatic operator will act onthe lever 6 and move it and the valve 4: to the point marked 3;, thuscutting down the draf So when the pressure reaches 198 thethird'operator will go into action and move valve 4' and lover 6 to theg closedposition and so when the pressure goes over 199 pounds thelowest operator will cause the lever 6 to completely close valve a andso entirely shut 05 the draft. All the parts will now remain in suchpositions so long as the pressure is above that at which they are set;the spring '4" being under tension. As soon as the steam pressure fallsbelow 199 pounds the spring 3% in the lowest operator will closethencedle valve 38 and the pressure in rear of piston39 will exhaustthrough opening 48 and the spring 7 will pull lever 6 back and with itthe valve l and so open up the draft again one fourth, and so on throughthe various changes of pressure back to below 196, when the valve willbe fully opened.

The automatic control thus builds up the steam pressure and cuts downthe draft simultaneously therewith, and as the steam pressure decreasesthe draft is simultaneously increased. These two oppositely Workingfeatures give this valve a balancing feature or automatic self-feedcontrol.

While the control mechanism is shown ap plied to a draft generator, itmay also be used to control the passage of fluids under pressure forother purposes.

What I claim is: V

1. An automatic valve control comprising a pipe for fluid underpressure, a normally open spring-retracted valve controlling the passageof fluid through said pipe, and an automatically actuated controllinglever pivotally connected to said valve and actuated from the fluidunder pressure to move said valve according to variations in thepressure.

'2. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure, and a normallyopen springretracted valve controlling the passage of the fluid throughsaid pipe, of piston adapted to move the valve against the action ofits'spring, a valve controlling the admission or" the fluid underpressure to the said piston and provided with adjusting means, and apipe for admitting the fluid to the last named valve to cause the pistonto be actuated by variations of pressure.

3. The combination with a fluid pressure pipe and a normally openspring-retracted valve controlling the passage of fluid through saidpipe, of a graduated series of fluid actuated controlling devicesadapted to successively move said valve at predetermined degrees ofvariations in the fluid pressure.

4:. The combination with a fluid pressure supply pipe and a normallyopen spring-retracted valve therefor, of a graduated series of pistonsin operative relation to said valve to successively move it against theaction of its spring, a series of valves'controlling the admission ofthe fluid to the respective pistons, and means for setting the valves ofsaid series for opening successively according to increase in thepressure of the fluid.

5. The combination with a fluid pressure supply pipe, a normally openspring-retracte'd valve'therefor, and a lever for moving the valve, ofaseries of pistons having rods engaging said lever at different pointsto move it successively varying distances,

and a series of graduated valves actuated from the fluid pressure supplyaccording to the variations in pressure therein.

6. The combination with a fluid pressure pipe and a normally openspring-retracted valve in said pipe and a lever for actuating the valve,of a valve controlling mechanism comprising a series ofgraduated'pistons pipe and a normally open s 'n'ing-retracted valve insaid pipe, and a lever for actuating the valve and provided with aseries of sockets, of a valve controlling mechanism comprising a seriesof graduated pistons and valves therefor; the pistons having rodsloosely engaging the respective sockets and a pipe leading from the mainpipe to all oi the said valves to actuate said valves successively asthe pressure increases and so gradually cut oil the flow.

8. The combination With a fluid pressure pipe and a normally openspring-retracted valve in said pipe, of a graduated series of operatorsin operative relation to said valve to move it toward its closedposition against the action of its spring; and a pipe leading from themain pipe to all of the said operators in the series to cause theirsuccessive actuation as the pressure increases.

9. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure and a normallyopen springretracted valve therein and a lever pivotally connected tosaid valve, of an automatic control means connected to said lever tomove the valve against the action of its spring, and a pipe connectingsaid control means with the fluid under pressure whereby as the pressureincreases said control means will cause the lever to move the valvetoward its closed position to shut off the flow of fluid and anautomatic valve between said last named pipe and said control means.

10. The combination with a pipe for fluid under pressure, a normallyopen spring-1e tracted valve therein, and a lever connected to saidvalve, of a control mechanism comprising: a series of cylinders eachhaving a piston in operative relation to said lever at different points,a valve chamber at one end of every cylinder, a valve in each of saidchambers, a pipe connecting all of the chamhers with. the first namedpipe, and springs for said valves, and means for adjusting the springsto yield successively as the pressure rises and so admit the fluidsuccessively to the series of pistons.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JESSE T. KNOLES.

